


The Winter Flower

by sapphirerose1990



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2017-11-27 21:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/666674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirerose1990/pseuds/sapphirerose1990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing, one by one, children are disappearing around the world. Winter is cold and the nights are long. The shadows are coming out to play. Jack and Tooth are thrown into a living nightmare but before they can save anyone, they need to rely on their friends and each other. If they don't, things might just go from bad to worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
The sun was low in the sky when Toothiana finally made it back home. Her brilliant tooth palace was an unprecedented beauty, standing on the mountain cliff and reflecting the early sunset colors of pink and gold. The gentle light glittered off the windows and the smooth white walls.  
With tired eyes and aching wings, her smile was content if not exhausted. Another night out in the field and the western hemisphere children were now waking up to surprises and gifts in exchange for their baby teeth. Wonderful kids who had moments before had been fast asleep.   
The way their hands had grasped at soft blankets, the sleepy smiles that were positively endearing but most of all their innocence. So many tried to stay up but they all eventually fell asleep. So much anticipation…just for her visit, it was enough to make her love her job more.  
But like all Guardians, she had a job to do. She could not stay and wait till they woke up; there just never was enough time. So she left and returned to the life of schedules and a loneliness that never seemed to leave her heart. For while she may see millions of children, it was all one sided.  
Kids would never see her. She was something to be believed in but nothing more. She was like a ghost in the night and for all her love, she did not deny that feeling of longing for something more. Something that could make her feel like plain old Toothiana instead of just the tooth fairy.  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Tooth noticed some of her small helpers in the distance. There was a huge flock of them, thousands that were lining up in front of Baby Tooth. After volunteering for leadership over the eastern hemisphere, Baby Tooth took her job very seriously.   
She proudly nodded, looked over and carefully inspected each tooth that was brought in by her sisters. This façade fell away instantly when Baby Tooth spotted her. The little fairy smiled cheerfully and waved her hand, chirping until Toothiana came over to inspect the growing line.  
It was growing larger by the minute and Tooth bit her lip, mentally counting the fairies as they lined up to deposit the baby teeth into the large catacombs.  
“Have all the fairies returned yet, Baby Tooth?” she asked nervously. “North America was a pretty big continent. If there are any fairies left behind I have to know about it right away! We only have a few more hours left until the next bedtime thanks to daylight savings time.”  
Her smaller duplicate chirped a comforting tweet and presented her checklist importantly.   
“Oh good; I am so glad everything is going smoothly. No close calls or last minute stops. I am very proud of you Baby Tooth. Keep up the good work!”   
Toothiana started flying towards her office but was surprised to see Baby Tooth following close behind. She was twittering softly, looking at her superior with concerned eyes. She was obviously worried about something but Tooth just smiled gently and waved her off.  
“Aw, thanks for thinking of me Baby Tooth but I’m fine.” Tooth assured gently. “Now I cannot stay for long. I have to go over the next list of children. Time is running out and I’m falling behind as it is. So please, we have a schedule to keep and I’m counting on you.”  
Baby Tooth nodded solemnly but once Tooth was gone, a little knowing smirk appeared on her face. Humming to herself and grabbing the checklist, Baby Tooth buzzed with excitement. The plan was set in motion but until then, she had fairies to monitor.  
The whole palace seemed to be anxious but Tooth did not notice. Instead, she busied herself with a piping cup of wildflower tea. Whistling to herself, she carried the mug into her office and enjoyed the warm scent of sweet honeysuckle that provided such a comfort on days like this.  
Perching in her office chair, she began to unroll the long, long list and studied the names carefully. For each child there was the tooth lost and the amount that would be owed upon each visitation. At the bottom, she had to sign off on the sum of money to be given. The amount was quite staggering but… it did make the children happy.  
“I sure hope I get this done in time.” Tooth sighed. “If I am late I might end up delaying the next batch of fairies due out for the eastern hemisphere! So much pressure!”  
Facts and figures were quickly adding up and she tried her best to focus. Slowly sipping the tea between breaks, Toothiana tried to ignore the fact that her eyes were growing heavy. She could feel herself slipping into a sleepy daze. She soon rested her head quietly upon her feathered arms.  
“Alright this amounts to exactly $1,589,993.50” Tooth mumbled quietly. “Or maybe it was only $1, 589, 339. 50? I must get the numbers right. I need to recalculate that amount…”  
Resting her eyes for just a moment, Tooth fell quickly into a deep sleep. She was so comfortable and so tired. Minutes ticked by into hours and it was not until a window opened, that she was startled by a cold breeze that ruffled her feathers and jolted her awake in an instant.  
“What? What’s going on?” She mumbled drowsily. “I’m awake! I’m awake…”  
Startled, she turned around to see Jack Frost smirking at her. Griping his staff in his right hand, he jumped off the window ledge and into her office with a dramatic flourish.  
“Hi Tooth! Long time no see!”  
“Jack? What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you or anything but it’s almost summer time! The heat could be dangerous for you. Is there something wrong? It’s not Pitch Black is it? Oh, I knew I should not have fallen asleep!” Tooth babbled nervously.  
“Hey! Hey…it’s alright. Everything’s fine.” Jack assured her. He swaggered over and smiled as he looked around the room curiously. “I’m just here for a little visit, that’s all. Unless you’re too busy, then I guess I will just have to come back later. ”  
Toothiana sprang up. Her wings fluttered and she put her hands to her mouth to hide a growing lovesick grin. She wanted to spin in circles and laugh like a lunatic but she knew her visitor was watching so instead she just smiled softly. “I’m always busy but I’ll make time for you Jack.”  
“Good, because I’ve been talking with Baby Tooth and it seems that you’ve been working too hard. So as the Guardian of fun, I thought that a vacation was in order. That’s why we thought of this little intervention. For your own sake, naturally.” He explained, grinning mischievously.  
Startled, Tooth flew back and forth anxiously. Her long, long list had rolled to the ground and she looked at the clock. The time for the next flock to go out was in ten minutes! She looked from Jack to her list, feeling completely torn.  
She was a Guardian but she also wanted to spend time with Jack Frost. What in the world was she to do? He was giving her those big blue puppy dog eyes!  
“Well…I can’t just forget the children!” She protested. “They might forget about me! I could never let those kids down, not when they are counting on me to gather their baby teeth!”  
Jack shrugged. “Baby Tooth said she would organize everything. That’s why she wanted to be in charge of the Eastern Hemisphere. She said that she and her sisters could manage the job alone for one night. So…how about it? Think you could manage a little bit of fun?”  
He pulled her enticingly towards the window, an unseasonably cold wind chilling her feathers as it lifted them up into the air. Sighing, Tooth nodded her head in resignation. Fluttering her wings, she followed the Ice Guardian up into the clouds, laughing for the first time in decades.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
The north wind blew the two Guardians faster and faster along the mountainside. The whole world became a blur, with Tooth’s only sensations being the grip of Jack Frost’s hand clinging to her own and the way her heart beat frantically in her chest from the quick rush of adrenaline.  
Never before had she gone so fast that she could barely make out the brightly lit cities that lay scattered across the planet. But the farther along the mountainside they went, the scarcer those lights seemed to become. The air currents they were following brought them to a land where it was still covered with snow. It was a place where even in the summer time, it rarely knew warmth. It was strange, being so different from the warm temperate climate of the Tooth Palace.  
Looking out towards the horizon with wide eyed wonderment, Tooth admired the ice as it sparkled and shone in the sunlight. “This place is amazing!” she breathed. “Where are we Jack?”  
Jack just smiled proudly. “Oh, this just happens to be a few miles out from Burgess, my home. I found this little valley a long time ago. Up till now, I’ve never shown it to anybody but I wanted to show it to you. It’s one of my favorite places to think.”  
“Oh! Well, then I am glad that you brought me here.” Tooth said shyly. “It’s cold and beautiful; I guess I should really not be surprised that you would want to live around here.”  
She glanced at him fondly but to her surprise, he met her gaze. He studied her with an equal intensity, to the point where she felt a bit warmer. Warmer still when she spotted his white teeth peeking out from between his lips, it took a lot of resistance not to go and admire them up close. His perfect set of teeth, the exact color of newly fallen snow. Only Jack Frost had teeth like that.  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden realization that thousands of snow flurries were now falling from the sky. What had been clear moments ago was now replaced by fluffy grey clouds. Jack looked up at the sky in surprise and suddenly his cheeks turned a bright blue. Tooth furrowed her brows in confusion, noticing for the first time how flustered and awkward he was acting. He tapped his fingers to his staff and looked around, doing his best not to meet her eyes.   
Instead he looked towards the mountains. A minute went by and suddenly he was smiling and laughing hysterically. “Hey Tooth! Look! Look over there!” He sputtered out. “What do you think those mountains look like? They look pretty familiar, don’t they?”  
Dazed, Tooth became puzzled by the sudden change of topic. “Oh…I don’t know. I guess they sort of look like canines and those tall cliffs over there, resemble bicuspids? Am I right?”   
Jack just shrugged. “I don’t know. I was going to say teeth but I guess that would work too.”  
He gave a snort of laughter and soon Tooth joined in. Even when they paused for a breath and looked at each other, more of their childish giggles started again. The awkwardness that had previously lain between them was finally broken. They stood gasping at the absurdity of it all.  
Even if it was against her better judgment, Tooth decided not to mention her curiosity over Jack’s changing mood. When he was ready, he would tell her. She could see that his eyes were shining bright with excitement! It must have been something very good, whatever it was.   
Tooth’s wings fluttered and she stood next to him, so close that they were almost touching. Her heart leaped to her chest when he finally spoke again, when he turned his gaze upon her and looked as if he was going to tell her a big important secret.  
“You know, this valley was not even what I wanted to show you.” Jack Frost said seriously. “In a few minutes the real show will begin. I think you will be very impressed.”  
Tooth raised an eyebrow. “Impressed, huh? So what am I seeing exactly?”  
“You’ll see.” Jack said mysteriously. “Prepare to be amazed.”   
He waved his staff to make the thick grey clouds disperse. The snow flurries quickly faded away but the ground still sparkled with ice. They were just at the edge of the mountain range and Jack was growing excited. He started sliding down the snow banks and ushered her over happily.  
“Jack, what are you up to?” Tooth asked curiously. “I don’t see anything.”  
The ice Guardian smirked and began to count down slowly. “5…4…3…2…1!”  
As if brought on by his command, long streaks of green, yellow and white started dancing across the dark midnight sky. They were like colorful ribbons that moved lazily across the horizon. Jack smiled up at them proudly, sitting down comfortably in a snow bank with Toothiana beside him.  
“So what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?”  
The tooth fairy gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. Her eyes were wide in wonderment. “This is just… wow. I never realized that the northern lights could look so bright and colorful!”   
Jack Frost grinned and lay down comfortably in the snow bank, his staff by his side. Toothiana giggled at his expression and lay down next to him. She started shivering a little but she hugged herself and smiled cheerfully at the sky.   
“It’s hard to believe that only a year ago, those lights meant something else entirely.” She mused.   
Shuffling anxiously, Jack shifted to look at her expression. “I guess they do look a lot like North’s Guardian signal. If you’re bored we can do something else. I know a lot of cool places.”  
Tooth laughed, playfully punching Jack’s shoulder. “Of course I’m not bored! This has been fun, a lot of fun. I’ve never seen the stars so bright and the northern lights are wonderful too. Has the sky always been like this? I’ve never really noticed.”  
Jack nodded. “Since we are far away from any cities, there is no light pollution. It’s finally dark enough that we can see the night sky like how I remember it. A long time ago I used to come out here and watch the stars and northern lights with my sister.”   
Toothiana bit her lip anxiously, expecting to see those memories bring him sadness. She knew how much he missed his family but instead, Jack Frost just had a wistful expression on his face. He pointed to a few groups of stars.  
“See those bright stars? That’s Ursa Major, the Big Dipper and that smaller group over there? That’s Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper. Then over there is the Draco constellation and of course, Cepheus, the king. I think they look even better with the green glow of the Northern lights.”  
Tooth studied the stars curiously and nodded her head before turning to Jack Frost. He seemed to be so peaceful with that expression on his face. She knew he would never understand how much she envied him sometimes. He was so carefree; he never had to worry about deadlines and endless lists of children. He just did what he wanted, when he wanted. He understood freedom.  
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Jack sit up suddenly. He got to his feet, glaring at the empty landscape around them. He sprang up into the air, catching a gust of wind and hovering a few feet above the snow bank. Tooth followed close behind, her eyes wide with concern. What was going on?  
“Jack? Is everything okay?” She asked quietly.  
Jack Frost hovered in the air and frowned. “I thought… I heard something. Maybe I was wrong.”  
He scrunched his face in confusion; his eyes were dark with worry and a twinge of fear. Finally, he took his wooden staff and urged the north wind to push him towards the strange noise. He took off like a rocket, zooming fast along the icy ground, kicking up snow in his wake.  
Finally after a few minutes, he stopped and studied the ground. This part of the valley was a lot rockier. There were piles of ice and pieces of wood scattered around everywhere. Jack paused for a moment and dug into the snow before suddenly, he gave out a cry of alarm.  
“Tooth! Tooth, come her quick! I need your help!”  
The colorful fairy flew over quickly and gasped. There, alone and covered in snow was a little girl. She was half frozen to the point of her pale skin turning a light blue. Only the sound of her soft breathing proved that she was still alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
From the moment Tooth spotted the child, her previous thoughts of pretty lights and stars lay forgotten. Falling back into the old tooth fairy Guardianship persona came naturally to her and when she saw that girl snuggled in her arms, all she wanted to do was protect her newest charge.  
Gently dusting the ice off of her mousy brown hair, Tooth watched with worried concern to see the girl’s eyes scrunch up in pain. She was shivering from the cold but her body language conveyed fear in its strongest form. “Shh…it’s okay little one.” Tooth cooed. “You’re safe now.”  
The girl did not reply. She was completely unaware that there were two Guardians watching over her.   
Instead she quivered from fear and the bitter cold, small moaning noises came from deep in her throat. Her hands thrashed in the air and she wiggled a bit, as if she was stuck in a nightmare she could not wake up from. Whatever kind of dream she was in, the girl was nothing less than terrified by it.  
Tooth glanced at Jack. “I don’t think she has much time. We need to get her warm and quickly.”  
“Want me to go to Burgess?” he suggested. “I could bring someone back or maybe we should go together and I can carry her there? I’m a fast flier; I could get us there within an hour at most.”  
Tooth gave him a skeptical look. “Yes, but it’s still too far away. The distance and this cold temperature could kill her! We need someplace closer, someplace safe where we could warm her up. You’ve been here before Jack; do you know where we could find shelter? It does not have to be much, anything will do really.”  
Jack looked thoughtful, staring out towards the valley. It was still dark out, the stars twinkled in the sky and the soft glow of the aurora borealis reflected against the snow covered ground. It was very quiet and he could hear the girl’s labored breathing. Frowning, he remembered his last time in this valley. One hundred years ago to be exact. Suddenly, he grinned as an idea came to him.   
“Hey Tooth! You know what? I do know a place.” He said confidently. “I haven’t been there in forever but I think it will be perfect for this situation. It’s well sheltered and hidden. Oh, I used to go there all the time! I just can’t believe that I didn’t think of this sooner!”  
Pleased, Tooth gave him a warm smile. “I knew you would think of something Jack. Now what is this place? A house? A log cabin? Maybe even an ice castle? I hope it’s not too far away.”  
“Well, it’s only a cave” Jack admitted sheepishly “but it’s the best kind of cave there is. I found it carved into one of the mountain cliffs not too far from here. It was my little hideaway. Being invisible takes a lot out of a person and it was nice to go there and forget about that sometimes.”  
He scuffed the ground and frowned, even now, the memories still brought him pain. He could feel Tooth watching him, her eyes fully of sympathy. “I wish I had known how lonely you were back then.” She whispered. “Then maybe I would have tried to visit you more often. I guess I’m not much of a friend, am I?”  
Jack waved her off. “Hey I get it. You were busy then, all the Guardians were. I was just a wandering ice spirit who caused trouble now and again. Besides, you were always kind to me whenever you did come by. You always made sure you said hello when you visited Burgess.”  
Guilt still played in Tooth features but she nodded her head. “Yes well, I will try to make more of an effort in the future. So why don’t you lead us to this cave of yours? It’s not getting any warmer and she’s been out here much too long. Look… her fingers are turning blue. That’s not a good sign. We better get started before she gets a more serious case of hypothermia.”  
“Alright, follow me then.” Jack said, hovering in the air. “You can carry the girl and I’ll go on ahead but please, try to keep up Tooth. I can only slow the wind down to a certain point and I don’t want to lose you.”   
Tooth laughed. “You could not lose me if you tried! Now come on, I will be right behind you.”  
Jack nodded and quickly summoned the north wind. It blew around him, lifting him higher in the air so that he was among the stars and the half-moon that glowed in the sky. Giving Tooth one last look, he started gliding on the wind currents and letting them take him to his special cavern.  
Tooth was not far behind. Holding the little girl securely against her chest, she beat her wings furiously to lift herself up into the air. The more she gained momentum, the more the northern wind currents seemed to lift her along too for the ride. The girl hardly weighed a thing and with the new speed, it became more the focus of maintaining a controlled altitude.  
Slowly adjusting to her new flight pattern, Tooth could see Jack Frost in the distance. He flew this way and that, inspecting the landscape with a critical eye. He looked nervous. The more Jack tried to get his bearings, the more difficult the task seemed to become. The land was very different from what he had remembered. Landmarks had shifted and familiar spots were gone.  
A century was a long time, maybe too long. Snow and ice changed the environment, especially with the changing seasons and the occasional heat wave. With climate change, it was even possible that the cave wasn’t there at all…but it had to be. It just had to! The girl needed help.  
Tooth was depending on him but there was not a thing he could find that looked remotely close to what he remembered. Jack ground his teeth and scowled angrily at the cliffs. There just had to be something! For a split second Jack was even tempted to check somewhere else but in the corner of his eye, he noticed something unusual.  
It stood out among the ordinary alpine landscape. It was just a rock that jutted out in a certain angle, one that was very familiar. He flew in closer and squinted. It couldn’t be…could it? He gave a mighty sweep of his staff and pushed the ice and snow away and sure enough, it was the entrance. It was weathered down from the elements but it was still the entrance into the cave!  
Jack gave a whoop of joy and flew in a sort of victory lap. It was still here! After all this time! He quickly waved his arms to get Tooth’s attention. She smiled happily and watched as the ice Guardian jumped up and down, urging her to fly faster towards him.   
“Tooth, come take a look! I found it!” He cried. “It’s just how I left it too!”  
He did not wait for her to reply but instead started looking around the room, inspecting everything and anything. Despite the length of time, it was still pretty much in its preserved state if not a bit smaller. It went on for a few feet before tapering off into the rest of the mountain cliff. Water dripped from a few stalactites but it was for the most part warmer and out of the wind.  
The tooth fairy followed him inside, eyes wide as she looked at the cave. It was dark and wet but it was actually kind of pretty. The ice was clear and translucent, glowing a little from the light of the moon. It was also a bit warmer but it still was cold…too cold. She gazed at Jack knowingly.   
Jack took the hint immediately. He started back towards the entrance, preparing for flight once again. “I guess I’d better gather some firewood.” He said quickly. “Just wait here and I’ll be back soon. No worries, no problems. The kid has Guardians protecting her, so what could go wrong?”  
“You know it is bad luck to say that.” Tooth said, half joking. Jack shrugged, smirking a little.  
“Yeah, but this time I mean it. She’ll be fine and I will be back here faster than you could say Jack Frost. There’s a small forest nearby. Gathering wood will be no problem, much too easy.”  
“Must you make a game out of everything?” Tooth sighed, exasperated. “Even now?”  
Jack laughed softly, leaned over and came so close to her that his wintry breath tickled her feathers. “Even now Tooth.” He said huskily. “Even now.”   
In one quick movement, he bent over and gently kissed her on the nose. Before she could do so much as blink, he had flown back out again into the cold expanse leaving Tooth feeling rather flustered and a tiny bit pleased. She cradled the girl and sighed. “Please hurry Jack.” Tooth whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Pale moonlight shown through the trees as Jack Frost traveled through the forest. Following a path that he knew by heart, his eyes were on the ground looking for wood. Branches creaked from a cold passing breeze and the leaves rustled overhead. It was enough to make him uneasy in his quest.

He kept thinking of the little girl. She was so lost and alone. He glanced up at the half moon that still seemed to be watching him from above. "Please…" Jack begged it silently. "Please don't let her die. I promise I will do whatever it takes to save her! So please…just let her live."

He stood and leaned against his staff, staring up at the moon and remembered the dreams, the many nightmares that haunted him. Not a night went by when he did not wake up gasping for air, remembering when he could not breathe. The memory of being so cold, his body was numb and he could not escape. It was horrible but he tried to not to let it affect him. He had to be strong.

People counted on him; children of the world, fellow Guardians and Tooth. If he told anyone about the nightmares they would either feel pity or scoff at his weakness. Bunny would and he wouldn't blame him. Guardians were not supposed to let their past corrupt their present duties.

Shaking his head, Jack gave one last glance towards the moon before resuming his long search.

Forests were always creepy at night. Moonlight made the shadows stretch and the trees seemed to be more menacing. Plus, there was the undeniable feeling that he was being watched. It was subtle but when he turned his head, something moved in the corner of his eye, something large.

"Show yourself!" He cried out angrily. But there was nothing, just darkness and the eerie quiet.

He swung his staff around, blasting ice into the trees but nothing came out. He started picking up his pace, hurrying to gather wood wherever he could find it. A log there and a branch here, it all went into his pile. The feeling did not go away and he felt vulnerable for being alone out in the open.

Dark shadows seemed to follow him while he went along the old road. He gathered more and more wood, enough till he had enough wood for ten fires. Even if it was too much, he still carried until he could carry no more. By the time Jack summoned the wind to leave, he began to notice something different about the wind tonight. It was very strong, almost too strong.

It blew like a hurricane gale, his growing fear adding to the strength of the northern wind. Giving a yelp of surprise, Jack suddenly felt himself being catapulted through the sky and towards the mountains. It did not take long for him to reach the ledge, landing hard with an ungraceful thud.

Groaning from his impact, he slowly began to regain his footing. Dazed and a little disorientated, Jack looked around in dismay to find that all his kindling was scattered everywhere. He bent down quickly to gather the fallen twigs but as he did so, he heard something very unusual echoing along the mountain side. It started out soft but as he listened, it grew louder and much more distinctive.

It was singing; beautiful singing that was unlike anything he had ever heard before. The song was foreign but the way it was sung, it left him completely spellbound. Where was it coming from? Resonating against the ice, it seemed to come from all directions but he knew better. Only one person had a voice like that and he could see her just through the cave. Jack was so captivated by it that he did not even realize he was staring until she spoke up and looked at him.

"I'm glad you're back." Tooth said after a moment. "I was wondering where you got up to."

Jack blinked, surprised that the music had ended. He stood awkwardly near the entrance, holding the firewood in his hands, having completely forgotten why he had been in such a hurry in the first place. "Um…I hope this is enough." He said "How's the kid? Is she feeling any better?"

"Rosie's fine now, only sleeping." Tooth explained quietly. "But I need your help. She seems to sleep better if somebody holds her, but I still need to make that fire. Do you think you can do it? I'm afraid her nightmares would return otherwise and she only just fell asleep."

Jack nodded, putting down the wood and dusting off his hands. "Okay, sure. I just hope she does not mind that I'm not covered with feathers. I doubt I would make a very comfortable pillow."

Tooth giggled but scooted over, making room for Jack as he sat down cross legged on the floor. He put his staff to the side and just for a second, smiled when he saw the little girl curled up against Tooth. She looked like a baby bird, nestled against Tooth's body.

He almost didn't want to move her but if Rosie noticed the switch, she did not wake up. Her thumb hung from her mouth and she merely sighed quietly. It seemed that the demons that plagued her sleep were finally gone. Long gone, he hoped and he felt content that she was safe.

Jack still avoided touching her skin. He knew his temperature was colder than hers and being that Rosie had narrowly missed getting hypothermia, it was better if he kept his distance. He was careful; treating her as if she was made of fine china and making sure she did not roll away.

"So her name's Rosie." He mused. "So I'm guessing you recognize her then?"

Turning to look at Tooth, he frowned when he noticed her back was turned. She did not even look up, so focused she was on arranging the rocks and kindling, prepping the fire and lighting it carefully. Growing a little annoyed, Jack called her name repeatedly until she finally looked up and sighed with resignation.

"Yes! Of course I know who she is. I am the Tooth Fairy."

Jack shrugged. "Well, I'm Jack Frost but even I don't remember every snow storm that I've created. So how do you do it? With all those years, all those baby tooth fairies…how do you remember all the kids? How do you handle so many deadlines without going a little bit crazy?

"I like my job." Tooth said simply. "To know that somewhere a child is waking up to find my gifts, it is just the best feeling in the world. Teeth are special; they hold childhood memories that don't always last forever. Children need their memories and just knowing that makes everything worth it."

Frowning, Jack saw her face change to have an expression of pained sadness and contemplation.

"Hey, sorry if I touched a nerve." Jack said awkwardly. "I just think that what you do is incredible, is all. Personally, I think I would have gone crazy after just one week of constant tooth collecting. All those kids, that's a lot to remember. Maybe I should help you out again? We can have a competition to collect teeth!"

Tooth laughed again. Poor Jack Frost. He looked so guilty as he stumbled over his apology but she had to admit, his puppy dog eyes were very infectious. "No, you did not bother me." She chortled. "I just have some…memories that haunt me sometimes. It's no big deal but thank you for the compliment."

The room went silent for a moment, an awkwardness once more filling the room. Jack coughed and tried to regain composure. "So…um…what else do you know about Rosie?"

Tooth studied the little girl fondly. "Rosie Williams, age 5 ½ had lost her lateral incisor just last month. She lives with her family in a small mountain community just west of Burgess. She has precisely 17 baby teeth, 2 more which were lost within the last year."

Jack gaped at her. "Whoa. You know how many teeth she has? Did you actually count them?"

"No…it's just standard information." Tooth said but then saw his doubtful expression. "What? It's not like I have time to look at every mouth! I'm a busy Guardian! Do you even know how many teeth I have to organize collection for in a single night? It make's North's job look too easy!"

Laughing, Jack just shook his head. "Wow! I guess I never put much thought to it. Still, it's good we know where Rosie lives. We can find her house and bring her back tomorrow! That shouldn't be too hard. Like I said earlier, Burgess is only a few miles away from here."

Tooth nodded but her eyes had shifted back to Rosie. The little girl had moved just a bit during the conversation and was stirring from the noise. Realizing the problem, Tooth suddenly became quiet. Placing her finger to her lips, she gave a knowing glance before Jack too took the hint. He was still and they all watched the child with baited breath, until she eventually fell back into a deeper sleep.

"That was a close one!" Jack whispered. "I guess we should probably be getting some sleep too. It's very late."

Tooth nodded, scooting close to him as they leaned against the wall of the ice cave. The fire crackled merrily but for once, Jack didn't think about that. He was too busy marveling at the closeness to the fairy. He felt his breath hitch and he struggled to stay awake. He had to tell her.

"You're wrong you know." Tooth mumbled to him sleepily. "I think you make a fine pillow."

Her head had slumped against his shoulder and now rested there comfortably. Feeling his cheeks turn blue, Jack stuttered. "Um…thanks. Look, Tooth there's something you should know. It's important. I think I saw something tonight. It didn't look friendly. It looked like a Night Mare."

"Sss…probably nothing…" Tooth sighed. Then a few minutes later, snores came from her as she dozed against his cold body. Rosie was snuggled against him too and now it seemed that the night had dragged on and Jack felt so tired. More tired than he had felt in a very long time.

"I hope you're right Tooth" He sighed softly. "I really hope you're right."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
Poking, that was the first sensation Jack Frost felt when he woke up. Somebody was poking and prodding his forehead, urging him to get up from his comfortable position. It became very persistent and very irritating but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to get up, he liked where he was.  
There was a rustling noise and this time, Jack realized that something was wrong. He slowly opened his eyes, groaning a little and looked around. There was nothing. Nothing but darkness and the amber glow of the fire. When his eyes finally adjusted, Jack nearly flew out of his skin.  
There, standing calmly over him, was Sandy. His yellow sand glowed softly in the darkness and many different pictures flew over his head with rapid speed. They were so indistinctive that Jack just watched dumbfounded. When he was finished, the Sandman looked at him expectantly.  
“Um…mind running that by me again?” Jack asked. “I’m not quite sure what you want little man. It’s still very early. Can’t you come back some other time? Maybe when there’s sunlight?”  
Sandy rolled his eyes and poked him harder in the forehead. Jack flinched and was about to demand an explanation but the other Guardian pointed to Tooth and Rosie. Both were still fast asleep and dreaming. Sandy put his finger to his lips and ushered him towards the cave entrance.  
Sighing, Jack yawned and stretched lazily. He untangled himself from the two girls and followed the Sandman towards the door but not before he glanced back at Tooth. Usually she would be following right behind but Sandy wanted her to sleep. What was going on that was so important?  
He grabbed his staff and went with Sandy out to the ledge. The day was crisp, chilly with a bright blue sky. In the distance, the sun was just rising over the mountain range and the thin layer of snow sparkled on the ground. There was no catastrophe, no danger but Sandy urged him forward. Impatiently too, from the way he tapped his foot and pointed down towards the valley.  
“Alright, I’m going.” Jack muttered. “Sheesh, what’s your hurry? Is this even really necessary?”  
Sandy nodded his head stubbornly. Jack sighed again and so the two made their way down the path. The farther along they went though, the more Jack became curious. There really was something going on. His guide sure wasn’t telling him anything but the Sandman kept smirking.  
Then there was the laughter. At first Sandy tried to be subtle about it but Jack noticed right away.   
Every few minutes the other Guardian would glance at him and silently giggle. Sandy tried to do it secretly, whenever he was not looking but Jack could see him from the corner of his eye. He even tried to be mature about it but still, Jack was becoming more and more irritated. Finally after thirty minutes of traveling, Jack stopped in his tracks and scowled at the other Guardian.  
“What’s so funny?” He demanded irritably. “I enjoy a good joke as much as the next guy.”  
Sandy just grinned and looked at him. A cartoon heart, a tooth and then a large question mark hovered above the dream Guardian’s head, before he gave Jack a knowing look. It did not take a genius to know what that meant and Jack quickly felt his face turn blue with embarrassment.  
“It’s not like that.” He protested. “We were just hanging out. Nothing even happened, honestly!”  
Sandy did not look convinced. He rolled his eyes dramatically but that smile, the annoying smirk was still on his face. He pointed towards two figures in the distance. North and Bunny were approaching. Jack could hear an argument go on between the two and they both looked angry.  
While he waited for them to get closer, he nervously shifted from one foot to the other. His heart sped quickly and he considered the cause of the argument. Was it really because of Tooth’s intervention? What else could it be? Sandy had already hinted that something was going on.  
“Jack! Good to see you!” North boomed out, slapping him on the back. “It’s been too long.”  
The ice Guardian winced at the impact. “Um…it’s nice to see you to North. Hey Bunny. Long time no see guys. What’s the occasion? I’m not in any trouble, right?”  
Bunny just rolled his eyes. “You mean other than distracting the tooth fairy and causing a major backup in tooth retrieval? Oh, there’s nothing wrong with that. You have no idea what your little adventure is costing the rest of the Guardians, mate! It’s been a bloody disaster!”  
“Oh, don’t be so touchy Bunny.” North said with a laugh. “If Jack wanted to take Tooth on a romantic date, who are we to stop him? The yetis are helping the tiny tooth fairies for the time being. They are very good at organization. There are bigger problems besides tooth fairy work.”  
“I did not take her on a date!” Jack objected stubbornly. “There’s nothing romantic about it!”  
“Well if it’s not a date…then what is it?” Bunny teased. “Because that’s what it looks like to me. I never knew you even fancied the little fairy. I’ll keep that in mind during the next meeting!”  
Jack was about to fire off with a heated retort but North stepped in; putting his hands on both the two Guardians’ shoulders and gave them each a stern look.   
“No more fighting!” North ordered sternly. “We are Guardians and we have a job to do. Man in Moon says children are being stolen from homes. I have seen it and it is truth. So we need to work together now, yah? Jack and Tooth found a child and she could help us. Did you think of that Bunny? No. Now stop fighting like elves do over cookies. You both are better than that!”  
The two rivals glared at each other but eventually looked away. Bunny even looked guilty but Jack was staring at North with disbelief. “Wait…what do you mean children are being stolen?!”  
Sandy stepped forward to explain, pictures floating above his head. First there were Night Mares prancing about and then there was Pitch Black. The sand version of Pitch glared at them with menacing eyes until he vanished as quickly as he came. Jack Frost gripped his staff very tightly.  
“So…the Boogeyman’s back? That’s not good.”  
“Not good at all.” North agreed, his eyes narrowing. “He’s been pretty quiet up until a year ago but something has changed. The missing children, the Night Mares, I sense an evil stirring deep in my belly. Something very bad is coming and we need help. We need to talk with little Rosie.   
Jack backed up, looking conflicted. “But how do we know she was one of the children stolen? She could have just been lost. Kids get lost all the time! Plus, I don’t like the idea of you two scaring her and interrogating poor Rosie with questions. We were just going to take her home.”  
North’s expressions softened. “You misunderstand me Jack. We will return Rosie to her home but first we need to know where the other children are. Pitch must have brought her to his new hideout at least once. If she can lead us to them, we can save them faster. It doesn’t hurt to try.”  
“Well…” Jack sighed reluctantly. “I guess when you put it that way.”  
“Wonderful! Then we shall start immediately, yes?” North said, leading the other Guardians back to the cave. “It should be piece of pie. Children do love me.”  
Retracing his steps took record time and Jack was anxious to return. Doubtful thoughts filled his mind and he could not deny his irritation and reluctance. This was supposed to be his day with Tooth but of course, Guardian duties came first. It seemed that trouble always followed him.  
Jack and North went on foot, Sandy hovered on his dream sand and Bunny, impatient with getting started, had already tunneled ahead. He was waiting for them when they finally made their way up the mountain and his face was grim.  
“It looks like we have some more trouble, mates.” He proclaimed. “Tooth and Rosie are gone.”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Nothing was more satisfying then returning home after a successful mission. Whether it was collecting teeth or finishing up a Guardian duty, to see that sun rise over the mountain range again was enough to make Tooth's heart swell with joy. She was finally home and the Tooth Palace never looked lovelier. Already she could see her beloved fairies coming in hoards to welcome her home with the ever faithful Baby Tooth leading the way.   
After being in charge for the last 24 hours, Baby Tooth was practically bursting with curiosity. Excited gossip spread like wildfire among the flock and there were many lovesick sighs and exclamations. To be honest, most of the fairies could hardly believe it. Jack Frost had returned home with Tooth and was actually holding her hand! They swarmed around the couple and twittered their happy congratulations.  
Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic overture, Tooth just beamed shyly at her companion. He shrugged and smirked mischievously back. Just to cause another round of fan girl cheers, Jack spontaneously pulled her close into a hug, so tight that a pink blush appeared on the feathered fairy's cheeks. He laughed and only released her when she playfully cuffed his arm. "You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome." Jack Frost joked. "I've never had a fan club before."  
"Well, don't get used to it." Tooth teased back. "We all have to return to our Guardian duties sooner or later. Baby teeth won't collect themselves. Nor will the snows come without your help but even so; I really did have a nice time. Any longer and I'm sure I would have forgotten how much fun those interventions can be."  
Jack gasped dramatically. "Forget how to have fun?! That's horrible! Well, that settles it then! I will just have to visit you more often, just to make sure there's still fun in your heart. I can think of many more interventions. Maybe next time, we could go to Alaska? I know this great spot. Or maybe you have a suggestion? What do you think Tooth? If you could do anything and I mean anything, what would you want to do? Just name it!"  
"I'd like to visit Rosie again." Tooth suggested. "Now that she's home I would like to check up on her. I want to make sure she is still safe and happy."   
"That sounds okay I guess." Jack began awkwardly "But who's Rosie?"  
Tooth laughed awkwardly but stopped when he did not laugh with her. "You're joking right?" she asked uncertainly. "She was that little girl we found half frozen in the snow near Burgess. We just got back from returning her home. Surely you didn't forget that quickly. It's only been a few hours!"  
He didn't say anything, his expression was still blank. If anything, Jack looked a bit put out. He pouted quite childishly.   
"Well so what? If she's back home, why should we visit her again? She's just some kid who got lost in the snow. You didn't even talk to her. Don't you want to do something else? Something more fun? Because I can think of a few things." he said suggestively. Jack pulled her in close again, this time leering at her with a strange, almost hungry look in his eyes. It was very out of character for him and to see him so predatory was making Tooth very uncomfortable. She studied him warily.  
This wasn't right and when his eyes changed color, she gasped. The bright blue of his pupils were growing darker and darker until they were almost black. It was as if he was being possessed by some demon. He was scaring her, this sudden change. he wasn't the only thing that was different either. The colors of the Tooth Palace were too bright, the temperature was too cold and this Jack Frost...wasn't the Jack Frost she remembered. Come to think about it, nothing was right.   
The last thing she remembered was falling asleep inside an old ice cave and then...there was nothing but this very moment. She must be asleep. That's what this moment must be, a dream or to be more accurate...a nightmare. Upon realizing the truth, some feathers began falling from her body, blood appeared on her hands and she started falling. Falling down towards the ground, to what lay hundreds of miles below her feet. Down and down, till she felt swallowed up by the earth. She awoke, gasping for air and her whole body ached with pain.  
At first Toothiana thought she was still dreaming. Everything was dark and there was that strange feeling of being watched. It made her uneasy but when her finally eyes adjusted, Tooth realized with a sinking heart what must have happened. Somebody… or something had kidnapped her.  
Locked away in a large metal cage, she was no more free then a captive song bird. She wasn't the only one either. Looking around, Tooth realized that there were hundreds of cages. Identical to hers, each cage hung precariously to the ceiling. Some of them were empty but most had a kid inside. To think that the youngest ones could be no more than three years old, they were just babies!  
Little helpless babies, stolen away from their beds and locked away like prisoners. It was a miracle that none of them were hurt but even so, that was not without its price. From the way the black dream sand crowded the air, it was obvious this was more than just a physical problem. This was the kind of sand that would wait; it hovered in the air like ebony clouds until it was able to cause bad dreams. As soon as a kid fell asleep, the nightmares would come instantly.  
Most nightmares just caused a little fear and the child woke up but this was different. They screamed in their sleep. Their faces would scrunch up in pain, tears would fall and kids cried out for their mothers. Mental pain or physical pain, there was no difference in this dungeon and Tooth could only watch helplessly. She was wide awake and angry, but most of all frustrated. Those poor kids. This was an awful place and she didn't have the strength to escape, but less help out.  
Someone had to do something, someone had to fight! For the first time in centuries, truly heartbroken tears fell from Tooth's cheeks. Sobs wracked her own chest and she closed her eyes. It was hard to bare. Slamming her hands angrily against the bars, Tooth stood up and cried out bravely into the shadows. "Let me out! Let me out now! Pitch Black, if you can hear me; know that I won't stop until you've paid for what you've done. Not what you've done to me but what you've done to these kids. When I get out, you'll wish you never heard of the Guardians!"  
She yelled with all her might and paced her cage. She stared at the bars, looking for a way out. Anything would do. A keyhole, a latch or even some sort of hidden door, there just had to be something. When that did not work, Tooth got up and began beating her fists against the bars, hitting them till the metal vibrated. She hit them till her hands ached but she just didn't care. it wasn't until her voice was hoarse and her body was exhausted that she stopped. She slumped dejectedly and wondered what Jack Frost was up to. Her time with him did not go as planned, not at all. It should have been a better, happy ending.  
"Have you broken yet?" A quiet voice asked. A shadow passed along the cage and Tooth quickly sat up and put on a brave face. "You must feel so weary by now Tooth. Like me, you are very old and alone but even after all this time, you still can't stand to see children cry. How weak, to be affected by tears."  
The shadow formed Pitch Black and he stared at her. His gold and black eyes flashed and he had an amused smirk on his face. "So what do you think? Did you like the nightmare I gave you?"  
Tooth scowled. "There's nothing wrong with having compassion! In my entire lifetime, in all the hundreds of years I've lived, my compassion is what kept me going. I will fight you and I'll keep fighting, if just to protect the memories of childhood. Your nightmares only last for so long. They have to wake up sometime!"  
Pitch shrugged. "Well, that doesn't matter now, does it? I've found a way around that loophole. Nightmares give me strength. I feed off them and when I found out that Guardians could have fear, well I just had to exploit that! I know how weak you do-gooders can be around my dream sand."  
Tooth did not speak but she glared at him. Her glare was furious but he just shrugged and continued speaking, not caring if she was listening or not. His smug smile did not go away, instead he hovered around her cage, staring and waiting until it was she who broke eye contact.  
"My first idea was to capture Jack Frost." Pitch continued. "That would be fun, seeing him trapped under my nightmare spell but alas, I couldn't. The other Guardians caught wind of my plan. North, Bunny and Sandy all went to warn him but it was too late. I realized the perfect revenge, to see his greatest weakness and exploit it. You, Toothiana are his greatest weakness."  
Her eyes lit up hopefully and despite her stubbornness, Tooth fluttered her wings happily. Did Jack really care about her the same way? Could it even be possible? Her mind floated with all sorts of outcomes and even her dream…despite the horrible ending, could just have some truth in it. For all her joy, it did not last long when she saw Pitch Black continue to smile his evil smirk.  
That was then the reality hit her. She was not just captured; she was to be used as bait. Pitch Black was using her and the rest of the kidnapped children as bait to lead to the rest of the Guardians to his lair. With the Guardians captured, Pitch could easily take over the world, one nightmare at a time.  
She was silent but she looked at the shadowy man with deep contempt. He was so sure of himself but even after all this time, Pitch did not know what he was dealing with. Tooth quietly looked up at him demurely, and whispered. "Tell me though; is Rosie Williams still with you? Can I at least see her?"  
Pitch in the middle of his rant, stopped talking and looked down at Tooth with surprise. He looked like he was going to deny her request but on a whim, he changed his mind. Waving his hand indifferently, he transported one of the captured children and tossed her into the cage. She wasn't hurt but unlike the others, Rosie was wide awake and conscious, her eyes wide with fear.  
"Fine, be with the stupid brat." Pitch said coldly. "It doesn't matter. In a few hours' time she would have served her purpose anyway. Keep her quiet though. With all this crying and whining, it's loud enough as it is!"  
He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the two girls alone. Rosie was crying softly but Tooth smiled comfortingly. "It will be alright little one." She whispered gently. "You are now safe with me."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Black sand was scattered along the snow bank like blood from a crime scene. It was everywhere, dark powder that was mixed up with ice and broken pieces of the cave. Stalactites had fallen and rocks had crumbled. What had was once beautiful now gave way to an evident struggle on the floor. Footprints, not unlike that of a horse, were scattered upon the ground. It seemed that as soon as Jack had left, Night Mares had swarmed into the cave and attacked without mercy.  
Tooth and Rosie Williams were gone. There were no bodies, no signs of murder but that did not leave room for comfort. The only possible clues that they were even still alive were the suspiciously long drag marks that started from the cave and then streaked outside into the thin layer of snow. There had been a fight and then...nothing. The streaks did not go far, disappearing after a few feet outside the cave. With whereabouts unknown, things were starting to look grim.  
The first to arrive on the scene, Bunnymund, just stood in stunned silence. His nose twitched at the familiar scent, his feet itched to run instinctively. There was only one person from which that scent belonged to. It was the scent of dead things, of damp soil and mildew. It was the scent of Pitch Black. Considering this revelation with cold apprehension, Bunny turned to see his friends coming over the hill. Already Jack was ahead, running when he noticed Bunny's expression.  
"It looks like we have more trouble, mates." Bunny proclaimed. "Tooth and Rosie are gone."  
Jack stopped short and stared. The cave was empty and the valley practically in ruins. He saw the streaks of black sand and displaced snow, but he still did not want to believe it. It just could not be...but it was. The evidence was all around him. Jack's face slowly hardened into an unreadable mask. His small hands gripped tightly to his staff and in seconds, the temperature of the valley became so cold that ice crystals formed around Jack's bare feet. He stared at the sand.  
"It's true then, Pitch Black was here." Jack spat out distastefully. "If he hurt Tooth or Rosie, I'm gonna…"  
"Do what?" North asked, interrupting Jack in midsentence. "Killing him is not the Guardian way. Pitch knows this and he will try to exploit it. Now's the time to think of a plan! If you go now, you will just fall right into one of his traps. Mistakes always happen whenever you are blindsided by anger. So any solutions?"  
Jack scowled, staring at North with rebellious eyes but North met his gaze just as stubbornly.  
With the quiet standoff going on between the two, the air was thick with unspent anger. Minutes passed by until finally, finally Jack lowered his eyes. The ice began to melt and he relented, if not a bit bitterly. He folded his arms and pouted quite childishly. "You know, I already had a good idea!"  
"Yes, we get it. You want revenge." North said with a sigh. "Are there any less violent ideas?"  
"I just don't see why we should wait around for some sort of ransom note." Jack commented dryly. "I mean, how would killing Pitch Black be a bad thing? I should think that the world be better off without any nightmares! Kids would no longer suffer in their sleep! That would be true Guardian work."  
"The kid's got a point North." Bunnymund put in reluctantly. "We aren't doing any good just standing around here." His sharp nose twitched at the foul scent and he gave North a long suffering look.  
"Look, we are going to do this the right way or not at all." North boomed. "You pick! If we rush into battle, full of fire, ice and rage, what do you think will happen? We will lose and this will not end well for anyone, the children included. So get that out of your heads, the both of you!"  
The valley fell quiet, the wind whispering along the bare branches of the trees. Bunny looked around awkwardly and Jack crossed his arms again, sulking.  
Sandy was the first to stand in front of the group. He flashed a small sand picture above his head and pointed to it. He then waited for the others to acknowledge it... but they didn't. They didn't even notice that he had stepped forward. Sandy frowned, huffing in frustration. He scowled and decided to try a more direct approach. He walked over to where Jack was standing and punched his arm, hard.  
"Ow!" The boy yelped. "What was that for? Sandy!"  
Sandy smirked and this time, he showed one very important sand picture. It was small but the familiarity of the shape made Jack's angry expression shift instantly to one of excitement. The ice Guardian's eyes lit up with hope and he gave a whoop of joy. "Sandy! You're a genius!"  
North frowned, his brows furrowed in confusion. He looked from Jack, to Sandy then back to Jack again. "What am I missing?" He asked curiously. "Why is Sandy a genius all of a sudden?"  
"It's Baby Tooth!" Jack explained. "Man, why didn't I think of this sooner? Baby Tooth and the other fairies have a strong connection to Tooth right? So they can help us find her! We'll gather the flock, and then go rescue the children! It's the perfect secret weapon, nobody will expect it!"  
Bunny grinned mischievously. "I bet those fairies would not object to finding Tooth, especially if they could get their revenge on those Night Mares and Pitch Black too. Could you imagine a flock of small, angry tooth fairies going after the big, bad Boogeyman? He would run away in fright! It's the perfect payback!"  
"Ho, ho, ho!" North laughed. "Now that is a sight I would love to see! Alright, alright we have the plan! Now all we got to do is get the sled and fly towards the Tooth Palace and rally up the troops. We have a Tooth Fairy to rescue! So, any more questions? No? Good!"  
Bunny winced, reluctantly following the others as North led them to where the sled was waiting. It was not far and the eight reindeer stamped the ground impatiently with their hooves, enough to make the rabbit more uneasy as he slid into the cockpit and braced himself against the sides.  
"I still think my tunnels are a better way to travel." He mumbled to himself, even when Sandy gave him the thumbs up sign. North took the reins and Jack just leaned back lazily in the sleigh. He smirked at his companion's fearful expression. "Relax; flying is the safest way to travel. North's a good pilot and the chances of crashing are low. So loosen up already and have some fun!"  
"I'll relax when I'm on the ground again." Bunny retorted.  
The rabbit tightly held his grip and soon the sleigh started moving. Faster and faster it went until finally, with a rough upward jolt, the sleigh was pulled into the air and North was getting out one of his magic portals. "Hang on!" the jolly Guardian cried as he tossed the orb into the air.  
A huge vortex opened up and with that, the sleigh was pulled in. They were going through a tunnel instantaneously, the darkness shifting to light so fast that spots appeared before their eyes and the Tooth Palace shown in the sunlight. The sleigh was picking up speed, shooting faster and faster towards the large mountainous cliffs that surrounded the castle. They were so close now that Bunny could swear he could count the white bricks on the walls or even pinpoint each individual fairy that flew out of the way. The eight tiny reindeer snorted and pawed the air while North began tightening the reins in preparation to land.  
The powerful vehicle swayed haphazardly in the air, before finally sinking down towards the ground. North pulled harder on the reins but the sleigh was still picking up speed. The cliffs were coming so close, that Bunny closed his eyes and prepared for the crash. Any second now...but something moved beside him.  
Jack Frost had jumped out of sleigh and with one large sweeping motion, he called the northern wind to push the sleigh back onto the ledge. The impact had caused a few pebbles to fall but other than that, they had made it. By now North was looking quite sheepish, he turned toward his friends. "Is everyone okay?" He asked his spooked passengers. "Nobody is hurt?"  
Bunny, whose grip had finally relaxed, glared at North with murderous eyes. "Are yah crazy? You almost got us killed! Next time, we are taking my tunnels! I don't care if I have to drag you along myself, this air travel is for the birds and I am most certainly not a bird!"  
The rabbit continued ranting but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Sandy and North noticed something wrong, Jack could barely stand. He staggered and leaned against his staff, trying to pass it off as nothing. He gave them a smile but even the fairies could sense something was wrong. They flocked around their friend, all twittering their worries and buzzing around his head. Jack grinned cheerfully at his audience, looking at the many expectant little faces.  
"Alright everyone,we're on a mission. Tooth and a bunch of children are missing. Pitch Black and the Night Mares took them but we don't know where they are. We need your help. So what do you say we go and bring her home?"


	8. Chapter 8

Hours seemed to pass by very slowly for Toothiana. Whether it was fighting sleep or total boredom, all she had were her thoughts and her constant desire to escape. She was growing desperate. Even Guardians had to sleep eventually and she was weakening under the sleep spell.

Tooth leaned against the cage bars, staring off into space. She could still hear the captured children whimpering from fear but there was nothing she could do. It was the worst feeling in the world, this helplessness. She felt so tired, tired of fighting and just tired of dealing with things beyond her control. She closed her eyes and decided let sleep take her, if only just for a moment.

As soon as she closed her eyes the nightmares began. They attacked her memories, probed into her weakest moments. Death and disease were everywhere, her family gone forever, the Black Plague and the Dark Times of the past that ravaged childhoods. She remembered it all, vividly.

It had only been a few weeks after her initiation into Guardianhood and their numbers were few. North and Sandy were scouting ahead while she was standing guard of a special child, one that Man in the Moon had told them about. She smiled softly as she held a tiny tooth in the palm of her hand. It was the child's best memory, one that would help give him hope to survive sickness.

She gently patted his hair, soft with a feathery touch. However when she lifted her hand, Tooth gave a shriek when she found that it was covered in blood. Swollen sores covered the boy's body and he felt extremely hot. How could this happen? Then she heard it, a spiteful laugh in the distance. It was his laugh, Pitch Black. The boogeyman had come and he always brought death.

It was too late. The boy was dead and it was her fault. She should have been protecting him properly. Memories were supposed to protect him but how could they work if the kids were dead. She crumbled to the floor and stayed there. Holding the tiny baby tooth in her hand until North and Sandy ushered her home. There was nothing they could do, she was helpless to darkness.

She did not realize she had been asleep until a little hand patted her shoulder. It was very persistent and a voice was calling her name. "Wake up Ms. Tooth! You are having a nightmare!"

She blinked her eyes sleepily open and saw a young girl staring at her with wide eyes. Rosie was biting her lip and looking really worried. "Ms. Tooth? Are you okay? You are…still shaking."

Dazed, the fairy blinked at the girl. She sat up and rubbed her head, trying to take in the current situation. She was shaking, that much was true. She could feel that moment of uncertainty as if it was yesterday and it made the situation worse. It would be too easy to lose herself, to lose Rosie in this nightmare. Despite her powers, even the Toothfairy could be only so powerful by herself.

Toothiana fluttered her wings impatiently, trying to shake off the memory. It still hung in her mind like a mist over her palace but she did not let herself sink into despair. She instead tried to reach into her mind for her plan to escape. It was still in its earliest forms but the more she thought about it, the more Tooth felt convinced that it might work. They could be free very soon.

Rosie watched her with concerned eyes but the fairy gave her friend her most comforting smile.

"I'm alright now." Tooth assured her. "It was just a bad dream. There's nothing to be afraid of."

The child did not look convinced. Her solemn eyes looked rebelliously out into the darkness that surrounded them, almost waiting for the boogeyman to come back. For the last couple of nights he had been coming around the same time, midnight. He liked to provoke them the most, trying to convince Tooth to change sides but it never worked. Rosie gripped tightly onto the cage bars.

Her fists were white, they held on so tightly. Tooth sighed and began to sing softly. It was a nightly ritual of theirs and it seemed to work. Her voice was sweet and gentle, promising good memories and hopeful days. Rosie listened, sighing and finally sinking against the boundaries of her prison. "I miss my mommy and daddy." The girl whispered sadly. "What if I forget them?"

Tooth smiled softly. "I understand your fears sweet girl but I have a very special promise for you. I promise that you will never forget the people you love. Do you know why?"

Rosie looked up sadly and shook her head.

"It's because I'm the Toothfairy. My job is to protect all children and keep their memories alive. I am also a Guardian and I have four very special friends who will do anything to help us escape. They just…they just haven't found us yet but they will. I promise you, we will escape someday."

The moment the last word fell from her lips, a cold laughter echoed through the caverns. It started out soft but soon it became thundering. The cages swung from their hinges attached to the room and as if a cold breeze was rushing through the cave, kids screamed as they awoke from their enchanted slumber. Terror was in every face and quickly Rosie ran over to hold onto Tooth.

"How many times have I heard that word?" Pitch asked. "Promises…promises…promises. How many promises do you intend on not keeping Toothfairy? Really, it is hardly good form to lie to a child and here I thought you were a Guardian. I guess Guardianship is not everything, is it?"

Tooth scowled at him and held Rosie close to her body. "Don't listen to him sweetheart. He's only full of lies and anger. He's just mad that I have not given him the other Guardians' locations. The boogeyman is only as powerful as we let him. So let's be strong okay?"

The little girl nodded her head solemnly.

"So that's how it's going to be?" The boogeyman growled. "I give you my hospitality. I give you chances for power and multiple chances to be reunited with your friends but this is how you repay me? To be ungrateful? To be resistant? Well then fine, so be it."

His voice rumbled like thunder, his eyes darker than ever with rage and hatred. Soon, Night Mares, by the thousands were springing up around him. Black sand was swirling around, knocking the cages around like they were wind chimes, not caring about the terrified children inside. Finally, with a stone faced glance towards Toothiana, he raised his arm up and pointed to a small opening. With the shrieks of the Night Mares, the whole herd started storming to the sky.

They were underground! They were under the Burgess Forest! It all made sense now.

When she had saw Pitch Black last, he had been swallowed into the ground under a broken bed frame. He had found a way to get stronger, to get revenge. Tooth and Rosie held onto the bars of their cage, with every swing Toothiana could just make out the tiny hole of midnight blue sky.

"I'm tired of waiting! Find them!" Pitch's voice bellowed. "Find all the Guardians and bring them here! I want them all in cages. Forget those little fairies and their memories, they are useless to me. We are going straight to the source boys. There will be nightmares for everybody!"

Black sand swirled up in a whirlwind towards the surface, a tornado formed and Pitch Black followed straight behind them, laughing as he gained power from the terror that he brought. The sounds in the underground cave quieted but there were still whimpers. Rosie looked at Tooth with luminous eyes and the fairy felt her heart tense. Something was coming, this was just the beginning. Her feathers ruffled behind her and her head tilted to the side, listening to the wind.

There was something familiar in the wind. It was not the vanishing Night Mares and their boogeyman leader; it was the way the breeze sounded. A cold arctic wind was now howling overhead with a chilling nipping at her fingertips. For the first time in days, Tooth beamed cheerfully. Tiny snowflakes were now starting to fall in the cage filled caverns, covering the whole underground with a soft white powder. Jack Frost had found her at last.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, here's a new chapter. Thanks again for your patience. I know the updates have been sporadic but as the story is now officially completed, I will be posting a chapter once a week until the very last one. I hope you like it. Thanks again for the comments/kudos/bookmarks.
> 
> I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

In the pale light of the aurora borealis, Jack Frost led the way in their search for Toothiana. The silvery green colors reflected on the snow banks, filling the cold night with a soft, mystical glow. In his wake, a huge flock of tiny tooth fairies followed behind him, a cloud full of fluttering green and yellow wings and feathers.

The fairies faithfully traveled with their friends, searching for their queen but despite the optimistic beginning, things were starting to get hopeless. They could not go on looking forever…the baby teeth still had to be collected. But no one wanted to give up. Even the remaining Guardians did not want to speak out, not with the air as tense and frigid as it was. Bunny had already suggested that Jack slow down and think carefully. That suggestion failed miserably. All he got for that was a face full of ice and an irritated glare from the younger Guardian. So upon a game of rock paper scissors, the task fell onto North to reason with Jack.

North watched as the Ice Spirit circled Burgess for the third time.

For some reason, the fairies were most attuned to the North Eastern part of the United States, particularly this little village and the surrounding valley around it. Toothiana had to be very close but whenever Jack Frost glanced at Baby Tooth, the leader of the small fairies only shook her head. It did not help that nearly every town they had stumbled upon there was nothing but dark houses and empty beds without children. There were no kids anywhere, not in the valley, not in the houses. It seemed as if they had all but disappeared, leaving the land sad and lonely. Even with his wisdom, North did not know what to say.

Finally, Jack Frost paused in his search. He perched on a tall rock overlooking the valley. His blue eyes were distant and his staff propped between his arms. he would search forever if he could but now, just looked exhausted and defeated. Glancing up, he watched the Northern Lights and sighed quietly.

The other Guardians gestured for him to go talk to Jack and North nodded. He walked quietly over to his young friend and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Jack, are you okay? You can rest here if you want. We can continue are search but maybe we need reinforcements. Remember when Jaime and his friends helped us defeat Pitch Black the first time? Even Guardians need help and he might not have been taken. He might be still okay."

"No, Jamie's gone too...I already checked." Jack said sadly. "Pitch took him just like he took every kid from here in Burgess to Lansing, Michigan. It's hopeless, North. I failed them all. Now I just think what an idiot I was for even thinking that I could spend some time not being only a Guardian with Tooth. I put her and the kids in danger because Pitch wanted to get back at me. It's all my fault. I wasn't doing my job and now people are suffering for it."

Sandy glanced sadly at the Easter Bunny, Bunnymund just shrugged. North however frowned. "Your fault? Your fault? That is complete nonsense!" The big man roared. "You were not the one who stole the kids or captured Tooth! You wanted to have fun and that's what the Guardian of Fun is supposed to do! Man in the Moon picked you for a reason and the Jack Frost I know would not give up! We are so close to them now, I can feel it in my belly! See? Even the little fairies agree with me. You've seen how they've been fluttering excitedly in this part of the world. Tooth and the children can't be far. We'll find them. You just have to have a little faith."

Jack looked up hesitatingly, "How can you be so sure? We've looked everywhere! I really don't know how much more disappointment I can take."

Suddenly the Sandman started jumping up and down. He had a picture of a flag waving and he started pointing towards the woods. Bunny looked up too. "Guys…I think we have a problem!"

North frowned and looked up in confusion. "What? What is going on?"

It started out slow…a trickle of black sand creeping out from the trees.

The Burgess forest had always been kind of dark and scary but with the sand escaping, Night Mares of all sizes were starting to form, stampeding straight for them. The spell that brought restless sleep was also starting to gather its strength and like a tidal wave of ebony sand, the Guardians were faced with Night Mares nipping at their heels. It was impossible to outrun them.

Sandy turned and used his own golden sand as whips, managing to keep the monsters at bay but more were still coming. North started slashing at the horse like demons repeatedly with his two swords but no matter how hard he tried, the sand quickly reformed again and each time around, the Night Mares were getting larger and more powerful. Bunny threw his boomerang hard and high jumped another Night Mare but instead of breaking apart, the demonic monster instead started surrounding him, pulling at him forcefully. It pulled and tugged, dragging him along the ground and casting its spell.

Almost immediately, Bunny felt the sleep spell work its magic. Kicking futility at the sand, he tried to stay awake and fight. He wasn't the only one, Night Mares were larger and even if he was a Guardian, his first fearful instinct was to run away. Angrily, he tried to pull away from the sand that was dragging him down into the forest but nothing worked. Suddenly, a bright blue streak of ice froze over the Night Mare and shattered it. Kicking himself free from the black sand, he hopped ahead, noticing that Jack Frost was riding the north wind and upon giving a swish of his staff, more ice descended on the black sand, freezing it completely. Now only piles of the dark dust littered the ground, while the remaining Night Mares fought even harder despite their ever lessening numbers.

"Is it just me…or is Pitch more powerful than ever?" Bunnymund complained to himself, hopping over to where Sandy was currently fighting a growing crowd of giant Night Mares. He kicked the black sand, shattering it while more started to form. Meanwhile, Jack Frost was getting irritated, he had not seen Pitch but he knew that where there were Night Mares, the Boogeyman was not far behind.

Flying up into the sky, high in the clouds, Jack worked his magic. He used his staff to create a blizzard, unlike Burgess had ever seen before. Snow and ice fell onto the giant Night Mares, stunning them temporarily. Studying the black sand and following the trail to where it led into the forest, Jack waved to North, Sandy and Bunny. It all led to some sort of cavernous hole underground. Broken pieces of bed post were just above the entrance but Jack knew this place. It started to make sense.

Baby Tooth and the other fairies were already gathered by the hole. Some had participated in the fighting but most were waiting for Jack. They looked down nervously, their chirps becoming high pitched and fearful. Jack gave them a comforting smile. "Hey, don't worry. It'll be okay."

Nodding her head, Baby Tooth took a deep breath and followed Jack Frost into the abyss. It was so dark that nobody could see but the little fairies could sense their queen was nearby. The sounds of their chirps echoed against the walls and the farther they went in, the more cave like the world became. Jack had to squint his eyes to see, only to find hundreds of eyes watching him.

Hundreds of cages, hundreds of children were suspended from the ceiling in metal cages. Not unlike the prisons that formerly held the tiny fairies, these held young children of various ages. Snowflakes were still falling from the entrance, the north wind made the metal chains sway but they were safe. Granted some children were unconscious but in the dark, a small voice cried out.

"Jack? Hey everyone, guess what? Jack Frost's here to save us!"

Jamie Bennett was jumping up and down excitedly. "I knew he would find us. I told you!" He bragged to his two friends who were imprisoned in the same cage. "Jack Frost always saves the day. The Boogeyman never even stood a chance against him and the rest of the Guardians."

"Of course I would save you!" Jack Frost said laughing, grinning at Jamie. He flew over and broke the latch with a flick of his staff. Carefully helping the three boys to the ground, the young Guardian could not help but look at each of the cages for Tooth. The little fairies were breaking the latches of the other cages too but there were too many, too many voices begging to be saved.

"Help us!" "Get me out of here!" "I want my mommy! I want my daddy!"

Jack Frost rubbed his head and tried to figure out what to do first. He flew this way and that, breaking latches but looking for Tooth. Suddenly he heard sounds of yelling and looking over, he spied Sandy, Bunny and North popping down from the surface, trailing bits of black sand behind them. The Night Mares were still trying to get back to strength but they seemed to be gone for now.

"Jack! Go find Tooth!" North roared over the cries for help. "We will take care of the children."

The Ice Guardian nodded, smiling thankfully as his friends started helping the kids out of their prisons. Now focusing all his attention on looking for Tooth, he noticed that there was one cage that was larger than the rest. It was in the center of the caverns, heavily locked and fortified but sure enough, Tooth and Rosie were huddled inside. Jack Frost grinned triumphantly; he gave a whoop of joy and tried to break the latch. It didn't freeze. Startled, he tried again but nothing. It did not even get cold. "Don't worry, I will get you out." Jack said stubbornly.

Slamming his staff at the lock, the thing did not budge and the girls inside did not start to awaken like he expected. Tooth's eyes were shut tight, as were Rosie's and the only sign that they were even still alive were the little noises they made in their sleep. They were both having a nightmare, a horrible one that they could not seem to get out of.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you." The Boogeyman's voice echoed behind him. "It's nearly impossible to wake up from this particular nightmare. Oh, I have been planning this for such a long time! I even made some special unbreakable cages just for you. You will know my revenge Jack Frost, every Guardian will know the extent of my true power and nobody, not even the Man in the Moon will be able to stop me!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's a new chapter. I hope you like it. Thanks again for the comments/kudos/bookmarks.
> 
> I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

From the very beginning, Toothiana could sense her little fairies were looking for her.

Like the faintest heartbeat, like the smallest white nub of a new molar growing in, the reminder that she was not forgotten was the only thing that helped keep the nightmares away. She could almost hear the fluttering of their wings, hundreds of tiny fairies returning to her. It was the best feeling in the world. It was hope because if they were looking for her, the other Guardians were probably not far behind. Seeing the snowflakes fall in the underground cave only confirmed this fact.

Tooth's own wings fluttered in excitement as she stood against her cage and stared up into the black hole that led up to the surface. She smiled, waiting hopefully to see her friends appear. Any minute now, the north wind was already starting to make the cages sway as it blew down below.

Rosie stood up next to her, one hand grasping at Tooth's long feathers and the other holding onto the cage bars as their prison swayed ever so gently. Her brow furrowed in confusion by her companion's excitement. The little girl was about to ask a question but suddenly, a big shadow fell upon the cage and Rosie gave a surprised shriek. She fell backwards towards the floor, only to be cushioned by Tooth's arms. Now, the Toothfairy was glaring daggers at the Boogeyman.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Tooth scolded. "The Guardians are going to be here any minute now and you still try to scare us? Well I am not afraid, not even your nightmares can do that to me! I will not let you bully an innocent child, not as long as I still exist in this world."

Normally Pitch would argue. He had been trying to break Tooth's will for days now but this time he only gave her a smug smile. His pointed yellow teeth peeked out from the corner of his lips and glinted briefly in the dim light. He casually petted a Night Mare that stood next to him, the creature snorted and pawed the air in restless anticipation but Tooth kept her expression neutral.

The colder chill had begun seeping down below into the underground lair; Tooth could feel it nipping at her fingertips as she held unto the bars of her cage. Her heart raced in excitement but Pitch's smile disturbed her. He was much too happy about all of this. He should not be happy.

If Jack Frost and the rest of the Guardians were here, than the children could finally be rescued, Rosie could go home to her family. They could finally…finally leave this moon forsaken cave but her blood turned cold as Pitch laughed. The sound echoed on hollowed out walls.

"Do you think you are saved little fairy?" He asked menacingly. "That your prince charming has come for you at last? It's too bad he will only be captured as well. I don't want just one Guardian down here, I want the whole set! If all five of you are captured then I will be unstoppable!"

Holding out his hand filled with dark powder, he took a deep breath and blew it all over Toothiana and Rosie. More concentrated then the previous amount they had been indirectly inhaling since their capture; it did not take long for them to fall into a deep and troubled sleep. In her few seconds left of consciousness, Tooth could hear Pitch Black rallying the Night Mares.

"I'm tired of waiting! Find them!" Pitch's voice bellowed. "Find all the Guardians and bring them here! I want them all in cages. Forget those little fairies and their memories, they are useless to me. We are going straight to the source boys. There will be nightmares for everybody!"

The demon horses pawed the air, black sand shifted around their feet and Pitch was egging them on. He paced around his lair, glaring up into the hole where a patch of midnight blue sky was just barely visible. The cages swayed back and forth and finally, his pointy teeth gleaming in the darkness; the Boogeyman acted. He rose his hands up into the sky and the Night Mares charged.

Black sand started pouring out towards the top, an upward whirlwind of Night Mares reaching towards the surface but right before Tooth could see something more than snowflakes, she fell into a deep but fitful sleep. Rosie was beside her and she too fell asleep. Already, bad dreams were creeping into her mind and there was nothing could do to stop them. The last thought before her eyes closed was Baby Tooth. The fluttering comfort in her heart, she was not alone.

For unbeknownst to Pitch, Baby Tooth had a plan.

As the fighting was going on overhead, the smaller fairy went to work. She started leading the flock through the cave, directing her sisters to and from the entrance and to the cages that were suspended in the air. The noise of the breakout was almost deafening, the fluttering and chirps of the fairies, the cries and cheers of the children. The Night Mares were now retreating to the underground cave and were still fighting, even if their numbers lessened.

More kids were waking up; their sleeping spells not strong enough to hold up against the deafening noise. It was working, the less nightmares produced, the weaker the Night Mares were. Jack Frost, Bunny and North were opening cages left and right. Kids were trying to escape on their own after that but it was a long drop and most of the kids were weak from staying still for so long. With a chirped order from Baby Tooth, the fairies grouped together to help them down.

It was a big job; there were so many kids that needed rescuing!

While North and Bunny were returning the kids to the surface, Sandy was keeping the remaining Night Mares away but strangely, Pitch Black was still smiling. Bunny spied this from the corner of his eye and was getting annoyed. It looked like Pitch was laughing at them and Bunny really hated being made fun of. "What's with that big stupid grin?" He demanded angrily. "You lost Pitch and if you are even thinking of trying something else, you've got another thing coming!"

Holding up his boomerang, Bunny aimed it threateningly at Pitch's head, but the Boogeyman did not even blink, his arms were suspiciously behind his back and Sandy spied the black nightmare sand swirling before it was too late. Turning and waving, he tried to get Bunny's attention. When that didn't work, Sandy acted. He turned his sand whips into a big shield just in the nick of time.

The black sand started ricocheting of the shield in a huge explosion of gold and black powder. It harmlessly fell to the ground and Bunny grinned at the Sandman. "Thanks mate! That was a close one!" He said gratefully. "Hey, watch out! Pitch is aiming more of that sand at you now!"

The black sand narrowly missed Sandy; Bunny grabbed his friend and hopped out of the way before the dark powder splattered against the walls. "You might as well give up; you will have to rest sometime!" Pitch taunted evilly, aiming more and more of his nightmare sand towards them.

Ignoring the children escaping and the Night Mares disappearing, the Boogeyman had an air of insanity about him as he tried with all his might to capture the Guardians. His once calm demeanor was shattered, his black hair now stood on end and his yellow eyes flashed angrily.

"Give into the darkness, you fools. I have been around since the Earth began, since the first child was born! You will submit to me! Submit to my nightmares!" Pitch Black deep voice boomed.

Suddenly there was a clanging noise from above their heads. It sounded like the screeching of metal and right above their heads, Baby Tooth was waving down below. The Boogeyman looked up, the Guardians looked up and the little fairy, which upon realizing that she had been noticed, smiled coyly and pointed to Jack Frost. While the fight had been going on, while Pitch was becoming desperate for power; he had been quietly freezing the chains and waiting for the right moment.

Now the cage was positioned just above Pitch Black's head.

The Boogeyman gaped in shock and before he could move, the cage suddenly fell on top of him with a loud boom. Sand and snowflakes were thrown into the air with the impact. It was hard to see but when the dust settled, Pitch had been knocked to the ground unconscious. The Night Mares had all but gone and Jack Frost flew down with Baby Tooth to assess the damage. It looked as if their fight was now over. Everybody held their breath, waiting to see if something would happen next.

It was quiet. North, who had been bringing the children up to the surface smiled proudly at Jack who was looking a bit worn out and in shock. He held his staff and aimed it at Pitch, watching the Boogeyman warily. "Is he dead?" Jack asked cautiously. "I mean, you can kill fear, right?"

"No, he's not dead. Hurt and stunned…but not dead." North diagnosed. "I'm proud of you Jack; you did not try to kill him like you wanted to. You showed some great ingenuity and strength."

Jack grinned sheepishly. "It was actually Baby Tooth's idea. She's really good at organizing things; I just froze the chains until they were brittle enough to break. She's quite the brilliant little genius."

The little fairy fluttered at the praise and more of the fairies were starting to gather around her, each congratulating their leader with chirps and cheers. Turning to North, one of them gave a particular impatient chirp and pointed to Toothiana. She was quite upset and Jack sensed that something was off immediately. "What? What's going on? Did Tooth manage to wake up yet?"

North rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well…we did manage to get Rosie and Tooth out of that big cage but…they haven't woken up yet like the others. I don't know what to do. I've never seen something like this. Even Sandy was stumped. I didn't know how to tell you this."

Jack was silent, his face was paler than normal and he went to where Tooth was lying neatly on the ground. Her little fairies were hovering over her in concern and the other Guardians were quiet, the merriment of their defeat feeling lukewarm. It wasn't a victory if one of their own was not there to celebrate with them. Tears welled up in Jack Frost's eyes and he collapsed to the ground beside the girl and the fairy. The others were forgotten and North patiently understood.

"We should give him some time alone with them." He said quietly.

The others nodded and Bunny gave a long sigh. "Poor bloke, nobody deserves to lose somebody they love…not even an annoying blighter like him."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the last chapter. Thank you for all those readers who stood by me to the end, I know it was hard with that long hiatus. For my new readers, thank you for clicking on the story too. Your comments/kudos/bookmarks are always appreciated.
> 
> I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

In an effort to keep Pitch from terrorizing the world once more, the Guardians agreed to keep the Boogeyman locked away in the cage of his own design. Far underground, impervious to any physical force, the only way to escape would be to use North's magic portal ornaments but the jolly man was keeping those under lock and key. It looked as if Pitch was defeated for good.

Furious, he screamed from his prison.

Being unable to die of old age or sickness, he would be trapped there for an eternity. He had already lost his mind in the final battle, his eyes flashing wildly like a predatory animal. He babbled excessively about vengeance and the Dark Ages, he shook the bars of the cage until they rattled but no Guardian paid him any mind. After all, Pitch Black was a threat to them no longer.

"We should bring her back to the Tooth Palace," Bunny suggested as they walked towards the waiting sled. "Tooth's final resting place should be her home. It would be the best place for her."

Sandy frowned and shoved him roughly while they were walking.

"Hey! What was that for?" Bunny protested loudly but Sandy only frowned and put his finger to his lips. He gave a long suffering look to North who gave his friends a small, sad smile. "This is not the time or place Bunny. We still have to get these kids home…and it feels much too soon."

North nodded towards the young girl in his hands. Rosie was so tiny compared to large Guardian but she was in the best care. Jack too was holding someone close. Tooth was balanced in his arms bridal style and he was walking so slowly, it looked as if he were afraid he might drop her.

Minutes went by but he had a strange look in his eye. Tears had stopped falling and now he looked as if there was a brief bit of hope. "Guys…I don't think that Tooth and Rosie are dead."

"Wait…what?" Bunny asked, confused. "Of course they are dead! Tooth and Rosie have not moved since we defeated Pitch. The spell should have worn off by now but it hasn't. I know how upset you are, heck we all are upset…but being in denial won't help. We need to be realistic."

Jack Frost grinned manically. "But that's the thing! If Tooth was dead, then they wouldn't still be breathing! Both Tooth and Rosie have been breathing, it's faint but I know their chests moved a little. Plus Baby Tooth and the others fairies are connected to Tooth. If she was dead, then they would be dead too but here they are. I think we have a chance; we just have to figure out how to wake them up. Sleeping is not death, it just looks like it. We still have a chance to save them."

True to his words, the flocks of tiny fairies were crowding around Jack and their queen. They looked anxious and worried but they were still alive. North raised an eyebrow and Sandy grinned. Bunny however looked skeptical. "So what do you suggest we do next?" He inquired.

Jack was about to say something but stopped. A bit of a blue tinge had covered his cheeks and he fiddled uncomfortably with his staff. That was when the Guardians noticed Jaime following behind them with a pleased smile on his face. Bunny, North and Sandy stared at the small boy.

"Jaime, why aren't you with the others?" North asked patiently. "We will be bringing you home soon and we need everybody to be in the sled. Your friends and your little sister need you now."

Jaime beamed happily at Jack. "A little over a year ago I was going through a hard time. For a moment I doubted that you guys were real, that Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, the Toothfairy and Jack Frost were all just make-believe. You know…kid stuff! But it was Jack Frost who helped me believe in these stories and so I thought I would help him believe too."

Bunny looked from Jack to Jaime, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Am I missing something here? Help Jack believe in…what? Us? Does he not believe in us? That doesn't make sense!"

Realizing where this was going, Jack was now getting panicky. He shook his head frantically but the little boy did not seem to notice. "Of course it does!" Jaime continued excitedly. "Don't you see? Tooth is a sleeping beauty, just like in the fairytales! I thought you five were just stories and you were real. So what about true love's kiss? That always seemed to work in all the movies!"

Jack Frost winced in embarrassment. "And…he said it." He muttered under his breath.

North was looking thoughtful but Bunny couldn't help but laugh at Jack's embarrassment. Jack looked to the ground, not meeting his friends' surprised looks. "So that's why frostbite over there is turning all blue in the face!" The rabbit chuckled. "He's too bashful from young Jaime's idea!"

"It's not like it would work anyway." Jack mumbled defensively. "I just thought that Jaime might be right, stories are told for a reason. What do we have to lose? I really care about Tooth…and little Rosie. I dragged them into this mess. It was my idea to hang out with Tooth outside of the Tooth Palace. It was me that Pitch Black wanted to get revenge on, so Rosie and the other kids suffered. I just think…I just need to have hope that this might work. Who knows?"

"You might be right Jack." North mused out loud. "Love is powerful magic and it is the direct opposite of fear. Perhaps your kiss could wake the two of them up. It's worth a shot, anyway."

Sandy gave him the thumbs up sign, the little fairies swooned and Bunny rolled his eyes, smiling a little. Jack Frost looked at the Toothfairy in his arms, his face still blue from embarrassment. Snowflakes were now falling from the sky and with a quick prayer to the Moon that this would work; Jack Frost placed his lips on Tooth's still ones and gave her a firm but gentle kiss.

There was no response. She remained still and quiet and Jack felt like giving up. A tear slid down his cheek and he closed his eyes in defeat. Suddenly, a few seconds later, he felt a delicate hand touch his face and wipe away that bit of moisture. Startled, Jack Frost opened his eyes and saw Tooth looking up at him with confusion and warmth. She was awake and she smiled softly.

"Jack…what's going on?" Toothiana asked curiously.

She tried to get to her feet and Jack carefully let her down. She was wobbly but after holding out her hands for balance, Tooth managed to get her bearings. Her wings twitched and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Did something happen? The last thing I remember was Pitch planning to capture all of you. Wait…where's Rosie? Is she okay? She was placed in that big cage with me."

"Don't worry, she's all right Tooth." North chuckled, nodding towards the little girl in his arms. "She just needs to wake up from her little nap. Jack, if you want to do the honors…"

The Guardian of Fun grinned and gently kissed the little girl on the forehead, watching while she slowly opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. "Miss Tooth…who are all these people? Why are they all looking at me? I want down!" She tried wiggling out of North's strong arms.

"They're our friends, sweetie." Tooth explained patiently. "I think they helped get rid of the big bad Boogeyman. We are free to go home now and you can go back to your family. I'm sure your mommy and daddy miss you terribly. Won't it be good to see them again?"

Rosie nodded and beamed happily as she looked at the Guardians in each turn. However, her eyes widened when she recognized the one who had held her only seconds earlier. Suddenly, the little girl gave a huge shriek. "Ms. Tooth! You didn't tell me you knew Santa Clause! It's not even Christmas! I have so much to tell you Mr. Clause! I've been real good. Can I have a …"

Right away, she started listing off her Christmas list and while North smiled and nodded his head patiently, Tooth went up to Jack and hugged him to her chest. The children were oblivious to the show of affection and the other Guardians were too amused by Rosie to notice, but Jack Frost could feel Tooth's hand wrap around his. He could feel her warmth and a bluish blush spread on his cheeks.

"Baby Tooth told me what happened." Tooth whispered softly. "Thanks for not giving up on us. You really are one of a kind." Jack Frost just looked at her and his deep blue eyes and shy smile were enough. The fairy knew without being told, that her feelings for the Guardian of Fun were returned in full, especially, when he pulled her into another, deeper kiss. In the distance, her little fairies cheered.


End file.
